The National Engineering Research Center of Deep Shaft Construction, hereinafter referred to as the “Deep Shaft Center” or the “Center,” was formerly the National Engineering Laboratory for Deep Shaft Construction Technology in Coal Mines, which was approved for establishment by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2008. The former laboratory passed its official acceptance review and commenced formal operation in 2013. In 2021, following national optimization and integration, it was incorporated into the new national engineering research center management system.

Shafts serve as the primary access routes and critical gateways for the underground development of coal, mineral, and other resources. The Deep Shaft Center is the only national-level engineering technology innovation platform in China dedicated to mine shaft construction. It undertakes the strategic mission of overcoming technological bottlenecks in deep shaft construction for deep-earth energy and mineral resource development and promoting the engineering and technological upgrading of the mining and underground engineering industries.

During the evaluation period, the Center focused on deep-earth development under China’s “Three Deeps” national strategy and responded to major strategic needs, including safeguarding national energy and resource security and developing a new energy system. It undertook a number of major national research and development tasks under the National Key Research and Development Program during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, major national science and technology projects, and the Science and Technology Innovation 2030—Major Projects. The Center achieved breakthroughs in critical bottleneck technologies relating to geological exploration for deep shafts, formation modification, engineering structures, equipment development, and safety assurance, while enhancing the engineering transformation and industrial application of major scientific and technological achievements. Its technologies have been successfully applied in coal mines, strategic mineral resource mines, and other fields, contributing to the stable national supply of energy and mineral resources. The Center has also supported the implementation of major national strategies and key projects involving the national water network, clean energy, transportation development, and national defence and security.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period and the medium- to long-term future, the safe and efficient construction of deep shafts under extremely complex deep-earth geological conditions will face considerable challenges. The Center will continue to strengthen its institutional and research capacity, foster new quality productive forces, improve the transformation of technological achievements into practical productive capacity, and accelerate the transition from conventional drill-and-blast shaft sinking to intelligent shaft construction. Through these efforts, it will make greater contributions to national energy and resource security and the implementation of major engineering projects.

I. Name of the Center

The official name of the Center is the National Engineering Research Center of Deep Shaft Construction.

II. Technical Directions

To support energy and resource development in the large coal production bases of central and western China, metallic and strategic mineral resource regions at depths of approximately 2,000 metres, and major rare-mineral production areas characterized by complex geological conditions in southwestern China, the Center has established five principal technical directions to address deep shaft construction challenges under extremely complex geological environments.

1. Formation Investigation and Engineering Risk Control

The Center develops geological drilling and multiphysics interpretation systems for deep shaft construction, providing scientific support for engineering design, risk assessment, and decision-making.

2. Technologies and Equipment for Complex Formation Modification

The Center develops key technologies and equipment for grouting and ground-freezing modification in adverse geological formations and establishes integrated technological systems for preventing and controlling geological hazards during shaft construction.

3. Surrounding-Rock Control and Engineering Structures

The Center conducts research on deep shaft lining design and surrounding-rock support technologies, with the aim of achieving safe management of engineering structures throughout their entire lifecycle.

4. Engineering Construction Technologies and Equipment

The Center develops complete sets of construction equipment, including vertical shaft boring machines, raise-boring machines, and shaft drilling rigs, and promotes the innovative development and engineering application of domestically manufactured equipment.

5. Engineering Safety Assurance

The Center develops key technologies for intelligent monitoring, operation and maintenance, and emergency rescue during deep shaft construction. On this basis, it establishes a comprehensive lifecycle safety assurance system for deep shaft engineering.

III. Organizational Structure

The Deep Shaft Center is jointly established by China’s leading research institutions, universities, and construction enterprises in the field of deep shaft construction. Beijing China Coal Mine Engineering Co., Ltd. serves as the host institution. The co-founding institutions include China Coal Mine Construction Group Co., Ltd., China University of Mining and Technology, Shenzhen University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huaibei Mining Group Co., Ltd., and the National Center for Safety Mark of Mining Products Co., Ltd.

With the approval of the Party Committee of the host institution, a Party branch has been established within the Center. The Center has also established a Governing Council and an Academic Committee and operates under a director-responsibility system led by the Governing Council. Academician Hong Boqian serves as Honorary Director, while Academician Chen Xiangsheng serves as Director of the Center. The Academic Committee brings together academicians and experts from leading institutions and enterprises, including PowerChina, China Energy Investment Corporation, China Coal Energy, China Railway Group, China Communications Construction Company, Northeastern University, and Beijing Jiaotong University. The Committee provides intellectual and technical support for accurately responding to national strategic needs and addressing critical bottleneck problems in deep shaft construction.

As an independent department under the host institution, the Deep Shaft Center has established an administrative management system responsible for personnel, financial and asset management, institutional development, and academic exchange. To meet the requirements for transforming and applying innovative technologies, the Center has also established research and development, testing and inspection, and technology transfer systems. Together with the administrative management system, these systems form a complete closed-loop innovation chain covering demand identification, technology research and development, product testing, pilot-scale verification, technology transfer, and engineering application.

IV. Operational Model

The Deep Shaft Center is an unincorporated entity operating as an independent department under its host institution. It adopts an operational model characterized by guidance from the competent authorities, leadership by the host institution, operation through an independent department, and collaboration among the co-founding institutions. Its management system is based on independent personnel administration, independent financial accounting, clearly defined asset ownership, and efficient and orderly organization.

The host institution takes the lead in organizing research on key technologies for mine deep shaft construction and in promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Double First-Class universities, including China University of Mining and Technology, provide strengthened support for fundamental theories and technologies. Enterprises such as China Coal Mine Construction Group and Huaibei Mining are responsible for pilot-scale testing facilities and engineering verification, providing essential support for the implementation, transformation, and engineering application of major technologies and equipment. The administrative management, research and development, testing and verification, and technology transfer systems support one another and operate collaboratively. This arrangement is consistent with the Center’s goal-oriented, problem-oriented, results-oriented, and demand-oriented development principles.

V. Host Institution

Beijing China Coal Mine Engineering Co., Ltd. is an enterprise transformed from a former research institute under the Ministry of Coal Industry and operates under an integrated model combining technology, engineering, and industrial development. The company is affiliated with China Coal Technology and Engineering Group Corporation, which is directly supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. It is recognized as a high-tech enterprise by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and is the only specialized institution in China dedicated to research on special shaft-sinking technologies and equipment. The Mine Construction and Geotechnical Engineering Committee of the China Coal Society and the Mine Shaft and Roadway Equipment Subcommittee of the Technical Committee for Standardization of Special Equipment for Coal Mines are both affiliated with the host institution.

From the 6th Five-Year Plan period to the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the host institution undertook more than 100 national-level science and technology projects. It cultivated Academicians Hong Boqian and Chen Xiangsheng, together with a large number of prominent experts in the mine construction industry. The institution has received more than 190 national, provincial, and ministerial-level awards, obtained more than 300 authorized invention patents, and led or participated in the formulation and revision of over 100 national and industry standards. These achievements have made important contributions to technological advancement in the mining and underground engineering industries.

VI. Personnel

The Center has 362 personnel engaged in research, development, and experimental work. Of these personnel, 61% hold senior professional titles or above, 27% hold doctoral degrees, and 53% hold master’s degrees. The Center has established a multilevel talent structure characterized by leadership from academicians, support from core technical experts, and a strong reserve of young researchers. More than 20 team members have received honours such as the Outstanding Engineer Award, the Sun Yueqi Energy Science and Technology Award, the Outstanding Young Engineer Award, the National Coal Industry Young Science and Technology Award, and the Sun Yueqi Young Scientist Award.

The research team is centred on Academician Chen Xiangsheng. Liu Zhiqiang, Ji Hongguang, Xu Huidong, and other recipients of special government allowances from the State Council serve as chief scientists and technical leaders. The Center also engages 98 external experts, including university professors and leading technical specialists from relevant industries.

VII. Assets and Facilities

The Center has independent office and research premises with a total floor area of 13,500 square metres, including 10,261.86 square metres of indoor laboratory space. It also owns an independent pilot-scale testing base covering 3,249.98 square metres. The Center possesses 464 sets of instruments and equipment, with an original total value of RMB 161.7114 million, and holds one nationally accredited testing qualification.

VIII. Operations and Achievements

The Center adheres to the national principle of orienting scientific and technological development toward the world’s scientific frontiers, the main fields of economic development, major national needs, and the protection of people’s lives and health. Focusing on national strategic demands related to the development of deep-earth energy and mineral resources, the Center promotes the integrated development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation.

The Center takes the resolution of major engineering and technological challenges in deep shaft construction in China as its primary mission. While concentrating on technological breakthroughs in mine deep shaft construction, it also supports the application of relevant technologies in hydropower engineering, water diversion projects, transportation infrastructure, national defence, and other fields. Through these efforts, the Center has established an industry–university–research–application collaboration system that integrates technological breakthroughs in its principal engineering field, coordinated application across multiple sectors, and the full-chain transformation of scientific and technological achievements.

The host institution and the co-founding institutions provide comprehensive support in terms of office facilities, funding, personnel, experimental capabilities, and technical services, thereby ensuring the stable and effective operation of the Center.

Over the past three years, the Center has undertaken 42 major national, provincial, and ministerial-level research and development projects and has participated extensively in the preparation of planning documents for the National Energy Administration and the coal, metals, and metallurgical industries. During the same period, it formulated or revised 38 national and industry standards, received one Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and won 31 special prizes and first prizes for science and technology at the provincial or ministerial level.

The Center filed 253 invention patent applications, including nine international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Its research and development expenditure reached RMB 460 million, while its technology-related revenue amounted to RMB 970 million.

The Center has provided technical services for more than 100 resource and energy infrastructure projects and other major engineering projects in China and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Its scientific and technological achievements have produced significant results in technology transfer, industrial application, and engineering implementation.